Holiday homes

HOLIDAY HOME SERVICES – A SOURCE OF JOY FOR CHILDREN

Children may be in need of a holiday home – in other words, spending time with another family – for a number of reasons. The child’s family may not have the chance to spend a holiday together, the family may be struggling financially, the family may only have a very small network of friends and family, or the child’s everyday life may be burdened by a difficult family situation. A chance for the child to spend time at a holiday home may bring relief to the families of, for instance, many small schoolchildren. At its best, spending some time in a holiday home may be a source of great joy for the child and bring some much needed variety in the child’s life. A child’s right to play, rest, leisure, and recreational activities is already secured in the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Save the Children has been operating the holiday home services for over 60 years. The service is still organised as a preventive child welfare operation and support function open for all children.

Swimming, getting ice cream from the kiosk and fishing (Joni 7 yrs)

According to feedback from children, they are happy to visit the holiday homes and hope to visit them again next summer. Among other things, they value the time spent together with the adults at the holiday home. Many of them have gained new experiences, but for most children, the fondest memories seem to be of small, ordinary summer activities with safe adults.

Everything was nice. It was such a great family and everyone there was nice. (Anni 10 yrs)

I get to be held. (Tiia 5 yrs)

There was a girl who was almost the same age and the whole family was nice and there was plenty to do. Dogs, woodworking, picking berries and horse stables. (Mia 11 yrs)

We made pizza and good food. Mika never gets tired of playing with me. (Taavi 10 yrs)

For more information on the holiday home services, please call your regional office of Save the Children. The staff at the regional office will provide information on becoming a holiday home. Help spread the joy!

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Who we are

Save the Children Finland is a politically and religiously independent non-governmental organization founded in 1922, which fights for children’s rights in order to immediately and permanently improve children’s lives in Finland and all over the world.